As the temperature continues to remain low across the country during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, the public is urged to practice hand and respiratory hygiene as they travel this holiday season. If influenza-like symptoms andsigns of severe influenza complications develop, please seek immediate medical assistance, follow the physician’s instructions in completing treatment, and rest at home. As of now, the number of medical institutes that dispatch influenza antivirals in the nation and the national antiviral stockpile are sufficient to meet the current demand. Taiwan CDC urges physicians to heighten vigilancefor patients with influenza and promptly prescribe government-funded influenza antiviral drugs to eligible patients in order to reduce the risk of complications.

According to the surveillance data compiled by Taiwan CDC, the influenza activity in Taiwan has been increasing rapidly. During February 2 and 5, 2016, a total of 76 new severe influenza complications, including 3 deaths, were confirmed. Since the beginning of this influenza season on July 1, 2015, as of February5, 2016, a total of 387 severe influenza complications, including 46 deaths, have been confirmed. The ER and outpatient consultation rates forinfluenza-like illness have continued to increase. During Week 3 in 2016, the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza virus was 37.9%. H1N1 is currently the dominant strain circulating in the community. Over therecent weeks, some isolates tested are considered as low reactors to the currently used influenza vaccine virus. Thus far, none of the viruses identified has shown drug resistance. Based on the past year surveillance data, the number of visits to the emergency department for influenza-like illness usually peaks during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

To meet the demand for health care services during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, Taiwan CDC hasrequested hospitals under its supervision in each city and county to set up aspecial outpatient clinic for influenza-like illness during February 6 and 14,2016. A total of 143 hospitals will be available to receive approximately 1,382 visited patients during the holiday period. The actual visited patient number will vary accordingly. Further, Taiwan CDC has distributed government-funded antivirals to over 3,000 contracted medical institutes in the nation.

A total of 3,225,000 doses of government-funded antivirals have been set aside for this Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, including 2,216,000 doses of Tamiflu and 1,009,000 doses of Relenza, accounting for 14% of the total population in Taiwan. During the peak of the influenza season in the past two years, the highest amount of antivirals prescribed during a single week recorded last year (during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday) was 29,474 doses and that the year before (6 weeks after the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday) was 17,353 doses.

Onthe other hand, Zika virus transmission has remained rampant. Thus far, at least 34 countries, areas and/or territories worldwide,primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean region, have reported local outbreaks of Zika virus infection. Although local cases have been reported in 6 countries in Asia and Africa, no direct evidence has shown local transmission has occurred in any of the 6 countries. 7 countries have reported an abnormal increase in cases of microcephaly and Guillian-Barré syndrome (GBS). As of now, besides one imported case of Zika virus infection, no other cases of Zika virus infection have been identified in Taiwan.

To ward off influenza infection during the holiday travel season, Taiwan CDC recommends the following measures: practice hand hygiene, use traditional Chinese two-hand salutes inplace of Western handshakes, and put on a surgical mask when experiencing respiratory symptoms in order to prevent influenza infection. If signs of severe influenza complications such as breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, cyanosis, blood-stained mucus or thickening of mucus, chest pain, change of consciousness, or low bloodpressure develop, please put on a mask and seek immediate medical attention.Most importantly, please follow the physician’s instructions in completing treatment and rest at home. For more information, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).